A lithographic apparatus is a machine that applies a desired pattern onto a substrate, usually onto a target portion of the substrate. A lithographic apparatus can be used, for example, in the manufacture of integrated circuits (ICs). In such a case, a patterning device, which is alternatively referred to as a mask or a reticle, may be used to generate a circuit pattern to be formed on an individual layer of the IC. This pattern can be transferred onto a target portion (e.g. including part of one, or several dies) on a substrate (e.g. a silicon wafer). Transfer of the pattern is typically via imaging onto a layer of radiation-sensitive material (resist) provided on the substrate. In general, a single substrate will contain a network of adjacent target portions that are successively patterned. Conventional lithographic apparatus include so-called steppers, in which each target portion is irradiated by exposing an entire pattern onto the target portion at once, and so-called scanners, in which each target portion is irradiated by scanning the pattern through a radiation beam in a given direction (the “scanning”-direction) while synchronously scanning the substrate parallel or anti-parallel to this direction. It is also possible to transfer the pattern from the patterning device to the substrate by imprinting the pattern onto the substrate.
The patterning device and substrate are generally supported by a movable support structure, which is connected to a positioner to accurately position the patterning device and substrate respectively in accordance with certain parameters and with respect to a frame. This frame can be any kind of frame, for instance a metrology frame or a base frame. When the support structure and the frame are movable with respect to each other and cables and/or hoses are provided between the two parts, a guiding device is normally used to guide the cables and/or hoses from one part to the other, thereby preventing wear and damage of the cables and/or hoses and preventing that the cables and/or hoses are interfering with the relative movement of the parts or other portions of the lithographic apparatus.
The guiding device is generally a chain arranged between the two parts in a U-shaped loop, such that the chain adapts its U-shape to the relative position of the two parts. Such a chain is described in WO 2006/108401 A1, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. A benefit of a chain structure is that it provides a stiff structure that can be used in both a horizontal and vertical orientation, wherein the bending axis of the chain is about a horizontal or vertical axis respectively. FIG. 8 of WO 2006/108401 A1 shows that the links 2 in the U-turn move with respect to each other when the two parts move relatively to each other. This results in friction between the links, and between the links and the cables and/or hoses, causing wear and small damages to the links, so that small particles are released. Therefore, this type of guiding device may not be suitable for a clean environment such as a lithographic apparatus.
Another type of guiding device is described DE 198.40.012 A1, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The document shows a guiding device with elastically deformable joints made of plastic to provide the desired bending. With this type of device, the stiffness in the vertical direction is relatively low and there is the possibility to twist the guiding device about an horizontal longitudinal axis of the guiding device. This may cause friction between different portions of the guiding device, but also limits the load capacity. The limited load capacity shows itself when the guiding device is used in a vertical orientation by sagging and significant deviations from the desired U-shape loop. These type of guiding devices is therefore mainly used in horizontally oriented cable guiding. Further, with this type of device, the use of plastic material makes the guiding device not suitable for vacuum environments due to outgassing of the plastic material.